Baker Mayfield understands his role as backup but has mindset to compete

Posted by Charean Williams on April 27, 2018, 12:36 AM EST

AP

Baker Mayfield said at the NFL Scouting Combine that he wasn’t “going to settle for a backup job.” After he was drafted No. 1 overall, the Browns informed him Tyrod Taylor would begin the season as the Browns’ starter.

“I know exactly what they said, and exactly why they said that,” Mayfield said, via quotes distributed by the team. “That is a veteran that has been in the league, a guy that I can sit behind and learn from. When I say those types of things, it is because I am competitive. If I came in with the mindset of just being happy that I got drafted and just to settle for a backup job, that wouldn’t be myself. I am going to come in and compete but also with the hunger to learn from a guy that has been in the league that has seen things that I haven’t seen.

“I have said multiple times that the best things that happened to me throughout the process at Oklahoma was sitting the year after I transferred. It was a great year for me to be on scout team, to learn from going up against great defensive coaches in coach Mike and Bob Stoops every day in practice. I was able to develop things that I needed to with my body and my mind.”

The Browns have had 28 starting quarterbacks since returning as an expansion team in 1999. Taylor will become the 29th, and at some point, Mayfield the 30th.

Cleveland has learned to live with the adage: If at first you don’t succeed, try and try and try and try and try again. . . .

The Heisman Trophy winner is the fifth quarterback the Browns have drafted in the first round since 1999. They passed on others, including Carson Wentz.

Mayfield hopes to put an end to the team’s quarterback carousel.

“It is a mentality,” Mayfield said. “You come in and think about the past, so that you can focus on the present and work for the future. For Cleveland right now, we are making the right moves. Tyrod and I, we are going to put an end to that list of the QB names on the back of the jersey.”

I’ll take the guy who played against and beat top tier competition in college. One guy spent his career injured, the other turned it over like a pancake, the others had horrid completion percentages. I’m pretty sure someone would find fault about any other QB they could’ve taken number one.

The Browns just drafted Johnny Manziel … AGAIN. If you don’t believe in curses, the Browns will make you believe. The similarities are uncanny. While it’s hard to match Manziel, if any QB in the draft can do it, it’s Baker Mayfield.

Mayfield is in a good situation. All the pressure is on the experienced Taylor to be the Browns QB this year. That means 1) Mayfield doesn’t have to play immediately and 2) he can sit, watch, learn, and prepare for his inevitable progress to starter. When will that happen? As soon as he’s ready (or if Taylor goes down the tubes this season). In any case, Cleveland has a lot of good young talent and should be fun to watch as the team improves.

At least he is starting out by saying the right things. Good luck.
For all the grousing about Manziel, the Pats will probably pick him up off the street and win a superbowl with him in two years. Brady still has at least one more left in him.

I love this pick. I’m glad the browns had the cajones to do the right thing and go against the conventional wisdom that QB’s must be 6’5″ 230lbs to be effective. Baker Mayfield is a winner! Can’t say that about the rest of them. This is coming from a Steeler fan.

Get out the bags Browns fans because your team has just been set backwards for another 5 years. Browns should have taken Barkley #1 overall, who is a once a decade back. Giants would have taken Chubb because we all know Darnold was the only QB they were willing to take…which would have left Darnold or Mayfield on the board at 4.

Not only did the Browns pass on the best offensive player at #1, they also passed on the best Defensive player in Chubb with the 4th pick.

There is a reason this team has not been in the playoffs since 2002, and their last playoff victory was 1994. That’s 24 years without winning a playoff game.

Cleveland surprised by taking the best QB at number 1. I thought they would pass on Mayfield over height but John Dorsey is smart and took the only true future NFL star in this QB draft class. I expect Taylor to start until mid-season then it is Baker time!